Klein Constantia

During the 18th and 19th centuries, "the sweet, luscious, and excellent wine called Constantia" became one of the world's most legendary and sought-after wines. Prized by kings, emperors, and nobles, the iconic bottling could be found in the cellars of many European courts. Napoleon consumed a bottle of Constantia each day during his exile on St. Helena, and the fabled elixir was immortalized in the works of Baudelaire, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen. After phylloxera devastated the vineyards of Constantia at the end of the 19th century, Klein Constantia fell into disrepair. In 1980, the run-down farm was purchased by Duggie Jooste, whose family had been involved in the South African wine trade for four generations. Duggie and his son Lowell began to revitalize the farm, and using vines propagated from the original vineyard stock, they sought to revive the glorious Constantia wine of yore. The cellar is headed by the energetic young Adam Mason, a Stellenbosch graduate who gained significant winemaking experience in France before joining Klein Constantia in 2004. The recreated "Vin de Constance" remains the estate's crown jewel. With its historic Cape Dutch homestead and breathtaking location, it has frequently been described as one of the world's most beautiful vineyards. In 2002, Wine and Spirits Magazine named Klein Constantia among the Top 25 Vineyards of the World.